Palaces, we all know that these are buildings in which the Kings had enjoyed their luxurious life and can be used as a symbol of an empire or a kingdom. These palaces reflect the skills of early builders and architects who had worked for kings. There are many such palaces in India which will conquer our eyes and will remain in our heart forever. Falaknuma is one such palace which is located in Hyderabad and is the most beautiful palace in Telangana. The Falaknuma palace was opened in the year 1893 and then it was owned by Nawab Sir Vikar ul Umra (who ruled the Paiga Hyderabad state), later came into the hands of Nizam of Hyderabad. At present the Palace is managed by the Taj Hotels. The palace is located in Falaknuma, which is around 5 kms away from Charminar and is placed at the heart of a 32 acre land. The name Falaknuma is an Urdu word which means “like the sky”, this is substantiated by its attractiveness.
It is quite gorgeous from outside and inside, so let us have a glance at the interior of this great palace. It has a reception room in which the gilded reefs and frescoes are used to beautify the ceiling. There is ball room in this palace which could accommodate many people at a time. This room might had used for conducting parties. The Falaknuma palace has 22 big halls and 220 rooms. You could see some of the treasure collections of the early Nizams. Manuscripts, paintings, books, furniture and statues are some of the early treasures which you could see at this palace. Many precious stones can be seen in this palace and the collection of jade in this palace makes it unique from others. Book lovers can also enjoy an evening here since it has a library in it which has a walnut engraved roof. The best collection of Quran in India which was collected by the Nizam is preserved in this library. The living courters is in the ground floor, from here a staircase which is floored by marbles lead us to the first floor. We could see the photographs of many famous persons and also some oil paintings in the first floor. Another eye catching feature is the Venetian chandeliers used in this palace. This palace was opened to the public in the year 2000, till that date it was privately owned by the Nizam family.
As told earlier, Palaces not only represent the wealth and power of a king but also reflects the skills of the early architects and builders. We should thank an English architect, about whom we don’t have enough information, who had presented this beautiful gift for us. As we check the style of this building we could see that it is a hybrid structure formed by blending both Tudor and Italian architecture. The design of the palace resembles a scorpion having two stings which stretch out like wings.
Taj hotels started renovating the palace in the year 2000 and it was opened for the public in 2010 November. Many changes were made to the palace during the renovation process. The rooms of the palace were decorated with handcrafted tapestries, brocades and beautiful furniture. They have installed a dining hall which could be used by 101 persons at a time, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
The travelers coming to Hyderabad should not miss a chance to visit this great palace since it can give us information about the skill set of early people. The Taj Hotels provides luxurious services which will be a new experience for you so come and enjoy an evening here.